Suspension 16

The 16th training precept: Instructing not to live apart.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Lovely and Lovely’s follower bhikkhunīs had been living in chaos, the sangha had done a formal act with a motion as fourth, and later they were living apart. Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī went to the two bhikkhunīs and said: “Sisters, why don’t you live together and live apart? Sisters, if you live together in chaos, you’ll be able to make wholesome states grow.” Then, for this reason, the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs: “You should admonish Thullanandā bhikkhunī in a secluded place. You should admonish her like this: ‘Sister, don’t say: “Don’t live apart. If you live apart, you’ll make wholesome states decline and won’t be able to make them grow. You should live together to make wholesome states grow and not decline anymore.” Sister, please give up this wrong view about living apart.’” When the bhikkhunīs had heard the Buddha’s instruction, they went and admonished her in a secluded place. That Thullā bhikkhunī held firmly on to it, didn’t give it up, and said: “Only this thing is true, everything else is false.” For this reason, the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs: “You should do a formal act with a motion as fourth for opposing the sangha’s admonishment against Thullā bhikkhunī, or against any other such sangha members. You (should) gather the sangha as before, and one bhikkhunī carries out the motion:

Saṅghakamma

‘Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. The two bhikkhunīs Lovely and Lovely’s follower were living in chaos, the sangha did a formal act with a motion as fourth, and later they were living apart. This Thullanandā bhikkhunī went to the two bhikkhunīs and said: “Sisters, you should live together to make wholesome states grow. If you live apart, wholesome states decline.” The sangha has admonished her in a secluded place, but she held firmly on to it, didn’t give it up, and said: “This thing is true, everything else is false.” If the right time has come for the bhikkhunī sangha to allow it, the bhikkhunī sangha should approve to carry out a formal act with a motion as fourth against this Thullanandā bhikkhunī for not giving up a wrong view about living apart. This is the motion.’ Next, carry out the announcements according to the pattern of the motion.”

Origin Story (continued)

When the bhikkhunīs had received these instructions, they then admonished Thullā bhikkhunī in a formal act with a motion as fourth. Then she still held firmly on to it, didn’t give it up, and said: “This is really true, everything else is false.” Then the bhikkhunīs for this reason told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunīs for this reason as before, asked if it was true, and criticized her, down to: “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī knows that other bhikkhunīs are willing to live apart, and that The manuscript has the plural 諸 here, but it must be a typo.* bhikkhunī says to those bhikkhunīs: “Venerables, don’t live apart. When you live apart, you’ll make wholesome states decline and won’t be able to make them grow. Sisters, you should live together to make wholesome states grow and not decline anymore”, the bhikkhunīs should tell her: “Venerable, don’t claim that living apart makes wholesome states decline. Venerable, you should give up this wrong view about living apart.” When the bhikkhunīs admonish her like this and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, they should again admonish her earnestly and correctly three times. They should reprove her according to the instructions to make her give up this matter. If she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, it’s a saṅghādisesa.’”

Explanations

“A bhikkhunī” means Thullanandā, or any other bhikkhunī.

“Living in chaos” means not living apart.

To be explained in detail as before. (The admonishment is to be done) according to the instructions as explained in detail. If she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, (the bhikkhunīs) should do three admonishments in a formal act with a motion as fourth. … it’s a saṅghādisesa as explained in detail.

Herein, what are the factors for committing this offense? If bhikkhunīs admonish her individually and she doesn’t give the matter up, she incurs a dukkaṭa each time. If they carry out the motion and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a thullaccaya. If she gives it up at the first announcement, it’s fine. If not, she incurs an offense as before. After the second one, she also incurs a thullaccaya. If she hasn’t given it up by the time the third announcement is finished, she incurs a saṅghādisesa. If they do it against the dhamma in a harmonious assembly, … if it’s not according to dhamma, according to vinaya, according to the Buddha’s instruction, and they maintain this procedure, she’s without any offense. If that bhikkhunī, while sitting on her seat, tells the sangha: “Venerables, I, bhikkhunī So-and-so, have committed a saṅghādisesa offense”, it’s fine. If she doesn’t say that, or if the offense hasn’t been fully confessed according to dhamma, and the other bhikkhunīs carry out the motion and announcements and complete the procedure with a motion as fourth, each of them incurs a dukkaṭa offense. (I believe this means that if the procedure is faulty but the offender accepts it and says it’s a saṅghādisesa, then it’s ok. If she doesn’t say it, the other bhikkhunīs incur a dukkata for a wrong procedure.)*